Tag: lean manufacturing
The true power of Lean and Respect for People
As we start to wind down for the holidays and year’s end, I always find myself becoming reflective. During a group discussion at the AME workshop in Boston I recently lead on Employee Engagement, someone asked me what my proudest Lean moment has been. To answer, I relayed the story of Chris and Tony – […]
#Muffingate, or “Customer Service Part II”
Ah Customer Service. The oft-discussed topic that rarely (if ever) seems to go anywhere. Our blog post on this topic from a few weeks ago elicited some interesting responses from folks. While some folks commented that customer service is all but dead, still others gave great examples of it being alive and well. The topic, […]
Lean & Customer Service
We talk a lot of about Lean here in the office. We talk about the tools and the methods; the strategy and the approach. We’ve seen and heard it all (or so we think!), both positive and negative. When you get right down to it, tough, the desired outcome of any Lean undertaking is basically […]
This nail is proof that Lean works
This nail is proof that Lean works. We own an old house – like an “it’s so old no one really knows how old it really is so the deed says built in 1900” kind of old. My guess is it’s circa 1850-1875, judging by some of the evidence I’ve found and seen. Like this […]
Get your cookies last week? Thank Lean!
Over the last week or so, you’ve probably noticed the little boxes of happiness popping up all through your office. Purple, red, orange and brown…I speak, of course, about Girl Scout cookies. Those once-a-year packages of goodness that many folks look forward to receiving after having ordered them months ago. As the father of two […]
NEJM and Lean – something’s missing
It’s been said many times over that’s what old is new again. If’ you’ve been around for any length of time, you’ve no doubt seen this phenomenon play out in everything from fashion to toys. So, it’s with some disappointment that I have to admit that Lean is not immune to this same trend. Lately, […]
99.9 mpg with Lean!
I don’t consider myself a hyper-miler (nor does my 5.4L V8-powered F150 SuperCrew 4×4) so imagine how excited I was when I realized that I was getting a fuel economy of 99.9 mpg! Not bad for a truck that weighs 7700 pounds unloaded! I quickly snapped a picture of my dashboard to prove to any […]
Do you really need a spare tire?
Recently on LinkedIn, a connection of mine shared that he had taken the spare tire out of his car in an effort to increase gas mileage. His rationale (which has been proven by automakers), was that a lighter car would get better mileage. His post drew swift and divisive commentary from quite a few folks, […]
Overcoming Lean Hesitancy with Respect for People
If you have a position that involves leading change, then at some point you’ve had to deal with people being a little hesitant. This is very true for those of us who have taken a leadership role in leading Lean, since we often are trying to influence fundamental changes to how companies operate. The ancient […]
Lean and the Art of Garden Shed Repair
When we bought our house in 2003, it needed a lot of work. We have touched every wall, floor and ceiling at least once, and sometimes twice, as our family has grown and our needs and tastes have changed. Most of that work is done, so I’m able to turn my attention to something that’s […]
